Yes--and I heard that red paint on your chiton was a mark of shame and could result in a fine.  This isironic as we have lost thousands of people to defend our freedoms including the right to vote and yet the percentage of people who vote in primaries and elections are quite low.  This could be explained by the fact that they are happy with the status quo, but I doubt that that argument can be supported in theseturgid times.  Rumor has it that in Australia people are fined for not voting--could this be true?

Can be if compusolry suffrage, just like in these few contries, Australia included :https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2123.html

We need a poll tests of basic civics and the issues being voted upon.  If you fail, you cant vote.  We could even set the bar fairly low and say 50% correct is passing.  I bet most would still fail the test.

Just give everyone the citizenship test as a requirement to get out of high school... or a Constitution test like we did years ago (8th grade then; when you could drop out at 16).

That would assume that Civics is still taugt doesn't it?  To the best of my knowledge Civics is rarely taught in American schools anymore.  We had two years of it in the Catholic school I went to, in 8th and 10th grades.

I cannot speak for all but I did spend a good deal of time on the Constitution and Bill of Rights with my students (8th grade). In CA the kids have US History in 5th, 8th, and 11th grades; US Gov't (National, State, and Local) in 12th grade for a semester… this is backed up by a semester of econ.While this looks like a great deal of coverage, there is alot to cover; my emphasis on the Const. is sort of unusual in my experience but I see so much ignorance of what that document actually says (and means) that it became something of a mission. Spent time on the BofR since most folks have that completely upside-down too.

In a word (several actually) your friend is completely wrong. We are supposed to ask questions... our government is supposed to answer those questions to our satisfaction in a timely manner; if they don't we...     "...the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."In another thread we spoke of revolution by ballots rather than bullets... this, I believe is what the founders intended, holding the bullets only as a last option. When 80% don't know the backstory the violent option becomes far more likely in my humble opinion. better an informed sheep than the goat.

... in the best interests of many elements of the society that the sheep do not ask questions, but fueledby horrid entertainment, booze, TV, drugs and cliches, and crippled by a sub-par education, work, obey,borrow money so as to consume products and essentially be good sheep--eat, excrete, procreate, consume and die.Also:  You might get in trouble quoting Jefferson--stay out of Texas!

Self-leveling though... these types often don't vote or if they do they follow the lead of their bosses, preachers, pork-producer Congressperson, or just whoever tells them more of what they want to hear. Back to "learnin'" them to ask questions and carefully judge the answers.Texas or not I'll stick with Jefferson on the Constitution."On every question of construction, carry ourselves back to thetime when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spiritmanifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed." --Thomas Jefferson to William Johnson, 1823

The Constitutional Convention was held because the Articles of Confederation could not address the problems the leaders needed to deal with. It was going to be impossible to modify the document we had in place and hence the Constitution. The Constitution, as written, can (if people will heed the Jefferson quote I supplied); it is the leaders that fall short today. We don't need a Constitutional Convention, we need a government made up of people that follow the Constitution we have. Given the argle-bargle to get the HC Bill through who know what kind of coat-hanger abortion we'd end up with for a constitution if we started with a fresh sheet of paper.Your remark about Maxim guns confirms the position of the anti-Federalists, to require a Bill of Rights thaqt recognizes our natural rights... including the right to keep and bear arms. Sorry if this position seems a bit cross or testy but I take this seriously.